Display carton



May 30, 1933. J, J, GAFFNEY 1,911,995

DI SPLAY CARTON Filed July 7, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. J. GAFFNEY DISPLAY CARTON May 30, 1933.

Filed July 7, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuemtoz affney 3513 h I @lbtovmmgs Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED sr TEs PATENT, OFFICE J'QHN J. GAFFNE Y OF NEW HAVEN, connncrrcur, ASSIGNOR TOINATIONAL Forums, I BOX COMPANY, or NEW HAVEN, comc'rrorrr, A ooaroaa'rron or nEw ERsEY DISPLAY CARTON 'Applicationhled luly '7, 1931. Serial, No. 549,161.

This invention relates to cartons or the like used for packing, displaying and dispensing merchandise and the object of the invention is to produce economically an efficient and simple carton which meets the requirements. v

A salient feature of thepresent invention is the means whereby the carton'is firmly supported in the most appropriate position to give the best possible display results. Heretofore'supporting easels of manyfdifferent kinds have been proposed but in all known instances the easels are of a: folding kind which have to be set uporarranged in operative position bythe operator when the carton is arranged for the display position. Furthermore, with previously known easels, devices requiring manipulation must be pi' o vided to retain the easel in its operative position. Such easels also materially increase the cost of production, including assembling and in such cases where cost is the prime factor,-even slight increased cost may render the use of the carton-prohibitive.

Another factor to consider is that easels which have to be foldedand otherwise manipulated are often so complicated that the average store keeper 'or clerkicannot -or wi1l not properly set up thecarton for display. According to the present invention, an easel or support is provided which'is entirely automatic in its operation,or in other words, the easel is both self-positioned and self-retained in its operative position when the carton is erected or set up.

The invention also comprehends the pro vision of a display device which is auto matically erectable into display positionduring the setting up of the carton.

The improvements forming the subject of this invention maybe applied to different kinds of cartons or boxes, either of the folding or permanently set up type, but having in mind simplicity throughout and economy, the invention is shown as applied to themost common and extensively used carton known as a tuck-in carton. This carton is produced entirely by machine work and. may be readily cha'nged'from its collapsed or folded position into the set up or erectedcondition. The improved easel is made "an integral part of said carton the easel lying fiat in the folded position of the carton, but when the carton is opened or set up,the easel is brought automatically to its operative position where it remains While-the oartoni stands in the set upcondition, providing a permanently rlgid support for the carton. The improved easelmay be applied with particular advantage. to so-called dummy cartons which are used entirely: for adver tising purposes. Cartons of this kindare sent out to the :trade in the collapsed-condition and the-dealer simply erects the car tons and places-them in position forrdisplay. The improved easel may, however, al so be advantageously employed with cartons that are also used for packing anddispens- 'ing merchandise and the use of boxes for such purposes will be described hereinafter. A display device may also be. provided which is in the form of a flan formed'as a part of the "carton blank. The display device is adapted to lie fiat when the cartonis in collapsed position, and the flap automatically erected in upwardlyextended position when the carton is set up. Two or more setup cartons may also be nested together by telescoping the easels of one carton into-the other.

In the description of the invention and applications thereof, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure-1 is a perspective view showing the front and top of a display carton having the improved easel;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of a blank from which-a display cartonwith easel complete is composed; Figure 3 shows the back of a carton which is modified to operate also as a packing and dispensing medium; 1 I f Figureashows a method of arrangingth'e cartons for shipping purposes and j Figure 5 is a fragmentary view o-fa portion of the bottom of the improved carton. Referring to said drawings,'I havelshown in Figure 2 a'box blank A. This blank is made of sheet material, preferably paper'- board, and in general form is similar to the blank in common use for constructing the so-called tuck-in box. The blank is divided by the usual crease lines a so as to define parallel portions or sections 1, 2 and 3 which respectively form the bottom, side and top walls of the box; Foldinglfi'aps 4, having tuck-in ends 5, extend from said section 1 and folding tongues 6 extend from the sections 2. One ofsaid sections 2 ha'sglue strip 7'connected theretoand it will beunderstood when the blank is folded over, desirably by machine operation, the strip lap 7 will over-lap the end 80f section 3, So far the blank, as above stated, is similar to one in common use. One of the changes made inathis blank to obtain anovel feature of the vpresent invention, is to partly cut out angular pieces 9 from the bottom section 1', thesecut out pieces forming the easel supports for the carton. It will be noted that these nieces constitute an unbroken and connected extended portion to each of the fiaps 4. I .7

vIn thesetting up operation of the improved carton the foldedtubular blank or collapsed body isbrought to its erect position; then the-tongues 6 and flaps el-with the insert tabs 5 are positioned to close the ends of the carton. In this erecting operation, the flaps l-hin e on the score lines I) so that the easel extensions 9 are placed in a vertical position substantially at right angles to the bottom ofthe carton. These easel extensions permanently remain in said position and form rigid supports toretain thebox in an angular display position, which position may be determined. by variation of the angular inclination of the cutedge 10 of the extensions 9.

As an additional :novel feature of this improved container or carton, section 3 hasa flap 11 extending therefrom. l Flap 11. is

hingedly connected-to section 3 and'is; re-' enforced or stiffened by means of the glue strip 7 which is located at the base ofvthe flap. This flap operates as an additional .displaydevice or placard for the carton.

Thecarton illustrated in Figure, l and made of a blank as described above isof a form commonlyknown as a dummy display carton which is used for advertising purposes only and is not intended to contain merchandise. This carton, however, may be easily altered so as to make it adaptableas a packing and dispensing carton be sides operating as a display device. The only required change is to cutouta portion ,12of one of the sections 2 forming theback wall of the carton as illustrated in Figure 2. The portion I2. cut out is preferably hinged at the bottom tojprovide a cover for the opening 13. through which opening merchandise in the form of a package,ffor: ex-

ample, maybe readilydispensed.

The improved carton, when used as a dispensing medium, as shown in Figure 3, is closed on all sides except at the back, and therefore theft of contents of the display carton is discouraged because of the fact that theopening 13 is generally not visible to the person .before 'whom the. carton is displayed and it is difficult to remove the merchandise unless one is positioned at the rear of the carton. Another feature ofthe present invention isthat the carton maybe printed, embossed or otherwise prepared so as to represent a number of individual articles arranged in an attractive pile.

When the improved device is used as a dummy the carton isdelivered or shipped in the collapsed or fiat condition-and the dealer desiringto set the carton up for dis,- play need only,performthesimple operation of expandingthe carton into tubular form and insert the end flaps, and the 'easel willv automatically be brought into the operative position-andbe self-retentively held in that position. Forsuch instances where the carton isusedas a; packing medium,a'practical and convenient shippingepacka ge may be obtained by placingtwo cartons together as shown in Eigure 4. In this case .the permanently fixed easels 5 oftone carton will over-lap the companion carton and the easel members of one carton-will fit into the openings 14 (left by cutting out of the sections 9) in-the cover. To make a complete shipping package it isonly necessary to; tie the cartons with string or vto pass a band or sleeve 15 around the cartons to unite them together..

Various modifications may bermade in carrying out the-details of the invention hereinbefore described and it is tog-be understood that any. modification coming fairly within the terms .of theappended claims shall be coveredthereby.

- What is claimed is 1. An advertising device comprising a collapsible body, a supportingeasel for said body, said easel being composed of a. portion out out from-a1 fixed. wall and formingoan integralgpart of a movable wall, said easel being automatically moved intosupporting position wheni the body is assembled in set up condition. p ,2. An advertising 7 device comprising a folding tubular. body representinga carton when setup, and asupport for said body composedof a-portion'displacea-ble from an integral wall of said body, said easelautomatically moving into "operative position when said body is set up,: and flaps for closing the ends of said tubular body. 3. A device offlthe class described composed of a collapsible body having side walls and a bottom-.wall, and a supporting. easel therefor formed. from an integral part thereof, said easel being rautomaticallyi moved with respect to said side walls into the operative supporting position when setting up said body, said easel being so formed as to remain in supporting position as long as said body remains set up.

4. A display carton and supporting easel therefor made from a single foldable blank, said easel being integrally connected to a hinged side wall of the carton, said easel being self-positioning and self-sustaining when said hinged side wall is moved into set up position.

5. A carton of the class described composed of a single blank, said carton having top, bottom, side and end walls, and an easel for said carton, said easel being composed of non-folding integral portions taken from said bottom wall, said easel portions forming rigid extensions from said end walls and movable therewith.

6. A carton of the class described composed of a single blank, said carton having top, bottom, side and end walls, and an easel for said carton, said easel being composed of non-folding integral portions taken from said bottom wall, said easel portions forming rigid extensions from said end walls, said easel portions having an inclined bottom edge forming a supporting base whereby said carton is maintained in a relatively inclined display position.

7. A display carton and support therefor composed of a single blank, said blank bein divided by crease lines into a plurality 0% sections forming the side, top and bottom walls of the carton, and flaps arranged to be folded and tucked in to form the end walls of the carton, said bottom wall having non-folding portions partly cut therefrom and integral with the end wall flaps, said portions being automatically movable with the end wall flaps to provide a support for the carton.

8. A collapsible carton formed from a single blank material, said blank comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, side walls, and a display portion, said portion normally lying flat when said carton is in collapsed condition but automatically movable during the setting up of the carton to extend upwardly from the back thereof to provide an advertising display card.

9. A display carton of the class described having top, bottom, sideand end walls, and rigid non-folding extensions from said end walls forming a supporting device for said carton, said easel being automatically positioned when the carton is set up, and said back wall having an opening therein through which merchandise contained within said carton is dispensed.

10. A collapsible display carton comprising a tubular containing body, a self-posi tioning rigid non-folding easel for said carton, a merchandise opening in said tubular body, a closure therefor and a display device automatically erectable into display position during the setting up of the cart-on. 11. A collapsible display carton comprising a container body, a self-positioning rigid non-folding easel for said carton, said carton being prepared to represent a pile of merchandise arranged in display position, and a connected folding flap adapted to lie flat when the carton is in collapsed position, said flap being automatically movable during the setting up of the carton to extend upwardly from the back of said carton to form a backing display card.

12. A display and packing means comprising a pair of cartons, each carton having a rigid non-folding permanently positioned supporting easel, said cartons being united together for packing with the easel of one carton fitted over and within the companion carton, said cartons being separable so as to provide separate self-supported display cartons.

13. A collapsible carton of the class described composed of a blank of sheet material, said carton having a bottom wall, side walls hinged to the bottom wall, and an easel for said carton, said easel being composed of non-folding integral portions taken from said bottom wall and movable with said hinged side walls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

JOHN J. GAFFNEY. 

